Getting Close

I've been limiting contact with the outside world so as not to catch a cold, or infection or do anthying else that might throw the schedule off. Today, though, my daughter-in-law Dara and my son Jason hosted my soon-to-be 88 year old Dad (who is in town from Boca Raton, Florida), and the rest of the Mirsky family for brunch. Jason used his new smoker to smoke salmon -- absolutely the best smoked salmon I have ever had. It was moist, almost fall-apart soft, and major league delish.

Spent the rest of the day at home nodding off between NFL football plays and switching the channel incessitantly unsuccessfully seeking something decent on TV to watch. I did the same thing yesterday while watching a non-stop succession of college football games. I think the college games were better than the pro games this weekend.

Had a lot of time to ponder just how lucky I am in so many ways. First I have a tremendous support base of really good friends all over the U.S. and Canada from my work with law firms over the past 17 years and The Network of Trial Law Firms that I set up. The messages I have received from scores of those friends are heartfelt and gratifying.

Of course my family and other friends have been in touch with support and encouragement. I am lucky and thankful for that.

But putting this thing into perspective, how lucky am I that within several months of diagnosis, I am to be operated on by one of the leading surgeons in the world at one of the best hospitals in the world, and as a kicker, most of the expense is expected to be covered by my insurance? Considering how many people there are in the world, how many of them must need this kind of surgery, and how many just cannot get it, I am more than lucky. Blessed is a better description. Makes me want to do something to help those less fortunate to get access to this kind of life-altering solution.

When I was an engineering student at City College of New York in the late 1960s we were just scratching the surface of bio-mechanical engineering. The kinematics I studied were based around railroad link drives and internal combustion engines. I'm glad that creative thinkers chose instead to devote their attention to designing mechanical and other medical prosthetics, for soon I will be a beneficiary of that work.